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First Thoughts: Loake and Herring Shoes

Herring Shoes

So after being disappointed with the price and range of shoes at David Jones (and Australia in general), I turned to Herring Shoes; an online, UK-based shoes store that stocks a large range of shoe brands, at pretty awesome prices. A pair of Loake 202’s (which I bought), cost $369 at David Jones; including postage, and my $10 off coupon, the same model was only $220 at Herring.

Not only do they have great prices, they have a massive range of shoes, including Loake, Church’s, Barker, and their own house brand; as well as a range of accessories.

The best part for me however, was the postage; from when I ordered them, they only took 5 days to arrive. That alone is enough for me to be a return shopper, but the range and prices that are offered make me think that I have found my new shoe supplier.

The only negative that I can find is that, because I live outside the UK, if I ever do have to return a pair of shoes, I will have to pay the postage costs; still, I can avoid that by not returning anything.

The shoes also came with a Herring branded shoe horn, and a tin of polish matching the shoes, as well as info booklets for Herring and Loake. The shoe horn is nothing special (but still definitely appreciated), but the polish is a nice touch, and I look forward to seeing how well it works.

Loake Shoes

Style wise, the shoes look great, and they fit perfectly; a dark brown wingtip, in a size that fits my foot, the only flaw that I can find with these shoes is that they are corrected-grain leather. I knew that going in however, and I wouldn’t expect any different from a shoe at this price; at a total of $220, they are only slightly more expensive than my Charles Tyrwhitt shoes, and at least as good. I’ve only had them for a few hours now, so can’t speak to the long-term quality, but I will have a proper review in a couple of weeks. My first impression is that I love them, and I’m hoping they will hold up well.